Grade Weighting
Adding a Weighted Grade Column
- Click the Control Panel button on the left side of the screen in your Course homepage.
- Under Assessment, click Grade Center.
- Click the Add Calculated Column button.
- Select Weighted to insert a new weighted column.
- Enter in the Column Name. Keep in mind items marked with a red asterisk are required.
- Column Name: formal name for the column which will be displayed in the Grade Center if no Grade Center Display Name is entered. The maximum field size is 15 characters.
- Grade Center Display Name: this text will appear as the column heading in the Grade Center and can only be 15 characters long. The Grade Center is the only are where this name is used.
- Description: entering a description will aid instructors or other graders in identifying the column.
- Primary Display: the format chosen is the only (if no Secondary Grade is selected) format displayed for this Grade Item in the Grade Center. Often times, faculty will want to use the default selection of Score.
- Secondary Display: this selection displays the secondary format for this Grade Item in the Grade Center. The Secondary Display is denoted by parentheses. Most commonly, faculty might use the Percentage display option.
- Select a Grading Period (optional).
- Click on the item to be included in the Weighted Grade Column. Notice that there are two ways of adding items – by individual column or by category name.
- Click the arrow directly to the right of the item to add.
- The item is added as a factor in the weighted column.
- Add the remaining columns to be included in the weighted column. Note: here the discussion, test and quiz categories have been added to the weighted column.
- Enter the percentage weight for each column (required) and modify the additional options as needed. Note: the percentages must add up to 100%.
Note: The options listed within each category added to the weighted percentage can be used to refine items included within the calculations.
- Grading Period - Select a Grading Period for the Category using the drop-down menu. This will only appear if a Grading Period has been created. If this option is used, only columns within the selected Grading Period will be in the Weighted Grades.
- Weight Columns – Determine how to weight columns within the Category. Choosing Equally applies equal value to all columns within a category. Choosing proportionally applies the appropriate value to a Grade Item based on its points compared to the other columns in the Category.
- Dropping Grades - Decide whether to drop high or low grades within the Category or use the lowest or highest value in the category.
- Set the Calculate as a running total option.
- Selecting Yes calculates the weight as a running total to include only the Columns that have been graded.
- Selecting No includes all columns in the calculation. Non-graded items are included in the calculations with a value of zero.
- Set the remaining options.
Note:
- Include column in Grade Center calculations – if Yes, the column is included in the possible selections of items when creating calculated columns.
- Show this column in My Grades – if Yes, the column will appear in My Grades.
- Show Statistics (average and mean) for this column in My Grades – if Yes, statistical information with the grade value will be shown to students.
- Click the Submit button to create the column.
Note: A Success message and the new column appear.
Find more answers...
Are you looking for more information regarding the Blackboard Grade Center? Review the answers to Blackboard frequently asked questions as well as Blackboard tutorials. Also, consider attending one of the upcoming Blackboard workshops.
Last Updated: 08/12/2009
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